An homage to the classics.

Rating: 9/10 (11 July 2013)

If you enjoy seeing giant robots battle enormous monsters from another dimension in stunning 3D you will absolutely love Pacific Rim. With its theme of world-wide devastation from a seemingly unstoppable invasion of colossal beasts, the fate of humanity rests on the shoulders of Jaeger pilots - individuals who jointly control and pilot gigantic robots.
A rift in dimensions has opened between dimensions in the pacific, known as the Breach, where giant monsters named Kaiju emerge to ravage the sea-side. Over the next five years war takes its toll on humanity and in response to this grave threat all the worlds' governments pour all their resources into finding a way to stop them from destroying the world. Jaegars are created, enormous twin-manned robots with the power to fight and kill these mysterious alien giants. As the frequency of these attacks increase and the resources of the Jaegar programs funds slowly diminish, a final answer must be found in order to save humanity from a seemingly devastating end.
What really got to me was the mood of the film. There is a general sense of doom and finality to the encroaching, and ever escalating frequency of attacks from the beasts, which are referred to as "Kaiju", a Japanese word which literally translates to "strange beast." Famous Kaiju from cinema history include "Godzilla", "Mothra" and the enormous turtle-like monster "Gamera." Fans of these types of films are in for a treat.
While some might criticize the film for being unrealistic in its plot, you have to remember that these kinds of films are never to be taken seriously. The drama involved in Pacific Rim, I felt, was handled with subtlety, with the usual tropes that come with action films of this caliber. So expect to see rivalries, old warhorses, a badass bookworm played by Charlie Day, and of course the battle couple played by Charlie Hunnam and Japanese actress Rinko Kikuchi. Of course the actor who really steals the show is the star of BBC's Luther, Idris Elba, who plays Stacker Pentecost - Director and driving force behind the Jaegar program. A man with a seemingly impossible task ahead of him, he must remain strong for the sake of the pilots under his care and supervision.
A generally fun and engaging action film with plenty of amazing visual effects. The designs of the aliens leave one in awe of their sheer scale and destructive power. The immense size of both the robots and aliens is felt as you can really sense how heavy they would be. The animators really did a splendid job on this film. I can appreciate this film from a technical standpoint alone.
Legendary Pictures have outdone themselves and produced an original film outside of their usual comfort zone i.e. superhero films. We can look forward to Legendary building on their giant monster film experience with "Godzilla" set to release in 2014 through Warner Bros. Entertainment, after which Legendary are rumored to be signing a new contract with Universal Pictures - with the expiration of their Warner Bros. contract at the end of 2014.